The Weekend Report: So Close!

This weekend was a trial given by the Weimaraner club. Just like last week, I only signed up for Friday.

The day started with Premier Standard. Premier is the more challenging version on Standard with less time to get it done and trickier courses.

Here is the map:

It wasn't super difficult. You just needed to be clear on where to go and keep your attention on your dog. I actually walked it incorrectly but it was fairly easy to add in the section I had skipped. Oops!

Jimmy listened very well even if some of his turns were a bit wide. Here is the video:




This run earned him a blue ribbon as the only other dog running in his class did not qualify.

Next came the regular Standard. It was a bit similar to the Premier, but a bit easier. It ran nicely and Jimmy was clean! Another blue ribbon. Good boy!

And finally Jumpers. I had been the leash runner for the big dogs so I had watched lots of runs. I knew right where the most screw-ups happened. If the handler did not properly support the 2nd to last jump (#18), the dogs were pulling off too soon and not taking it. So when it was my turn, I knew I needed to place my rear-cross close to the jump so Jimmy was sure to jump it. To pull off a rear-cross successfully, your dog needs to be ahead of you. Unfortunately, I out ran Jimmy, and couldn't do a rear-cross. So I ran past the jump, hoping to turn Jimmy on the landing side. It worked, but it messed up his stride and he knocked down a bar on the very last jump. Sigh! So close to a double-Q! Completely my fault! I'm not in a hurry to complete my PACH2, but I don't want it to take too long....Jimmy and I aren't getting any younger! LOL!

Sorry, but you will have to use your imagination as I didn't video either STD or JWW. Here are the maps to help visualize!

Tracking Jimmy's PACH 2 progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016

QQ#20: 
Masters JWW legs: 56...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15 MJPS Title
Masters STD legs: 52...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 04/30/17 MXPS Title
Double Q's: 15(out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 1582 plus many more! I have lost count!

The Weekend Report: Better Late than Never!

Here it is Thursday already and I haven't even posted Jimmy's videos and results from last weekend's agility trial given by the Weimaraner Club. Of course with Monday having been Wilson's thirteeth birthday, he was the one that earned the blogging rights for that day!

We had a very successful weekend, qualifying in three out of our four runs. All of our "Q's"" were first place, and our one unsuccessful run had only a small mistake (captured on video!).

The videos are from Saturday and the first one is our Standard run. I'll let you find the mistake.....




And here is Jumpers for a nice blue ribbon (and canned dog food for Jimmy's post-run reward!)

Tracking Jimmy's PACH 2 progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016

QQ#20: 
Masters JWW legs: 40...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 36...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 3 (out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need, so I'm not even going to track them!)

The Weekend Report: Bee Sting!

This weekend was yet another agility trial, this time given by the Weimaraner Club. There is plenty of mischief to report!

First, to explain my title....the landscaping outside the soccer building was some sort of laurel bush (I think) and it was in very full bloom. The blossoms were cloyingly sweet in fragrance and attracted all manner of insects. At one point during the day on Sunday, I took Jimmy out for a potty break. I wasn't even that close to the bushes, but a wasp did a super fast fly-by, stinging me, through my sock, on my ankle. It felt like being stabbed with an ice pick! I went right inside and got a bag of ice from the snack bar. A fellow competitor even had a first-aid kit with a bug bite pad, so I used that too. I haven't been stung by a bee or wasp in years, but I wasn't really expecting too much of a reaction. Between the ice and the medicated pad, I pretty well stopped the reaction. It was a bit itchy and sore where my shoe rubbed it but not too bad. I was very thankful the wasp stung me and not Jimmy! To my knowledge, he has never been stung before, so I certainly didn't want to see what his reaction would be at an agility trial, and away from our usual vet.

Photo credit: Key4Prints

On Saturday, just after our first run of the day, a thunderstorm rolled through. It came with several loud peels of thunder and sent Jimmy into a meltdown. We spent the next hour holed up in my car with the A/C running. Jimmy feels much safer in the car so we went out there to try to re-gain his sanity. Fortunately, I had a really good audiobook going, so the time flew by. Also, a fellow competitor had a product used to reduce anxiety called VetriScience Composure which comes in biscuit form. She gave me one for Jimmy to try, and I do believe it helped. The trial was a one-ring trial so our runs were spaced out by many hours, so Jimmy had pretty much recovered by the time his next run came due.

Photo credit: Key4Prints

On Sunday, the day dawned sunny but oh, so HOT . It took your breath away to go outside. There was no walking the dogs to kill time, or get exercise. It was quick business....(get stung by a wasp!) ....and hurry back inside. Thankfully the A/C kept up with the heat and the building stayed pleasant all day.

Photo credit: Key4Prints

As to how our runs went.....Meh! Jimmy and I were only 1 for 4 by the end of the weekend. Each run had just one mistake....a dropped bar, a table refusal in the run after the thunderstorm. I don't think Jimmy wanted to have to stop as he was still a little stressed and moving felt safer, and finally a dogwalk contact got us. Sigh. Jimmy did redeem himself in the very last Jumpers run, Qing and getting the blue ribbon.

The view of the trial from an upper mezzanine.

Tracking Jimmy's PACH progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Saturday 06/21/2014
Masters JWW legs: 19...MJP Title 01/25/15
Masters STD legs: 18...MXP Title!10/24/14
Double Q's: 10
PACH Points: 858

AKC Nationals 2016:
Double-Q's: 3 (out of 5 needed)
Points: 336 (out of 600 needed)....
Masters Legs: 15 (out of 20 needed)


Update: Forgot the maps! D'Oh!